"Twenty-two slashes, Soul Sever!"
Finally, Wang Chuan's long-charged slash streaked across the sky. Amidst the roiling thunderclouds above, it seemed to conjure a net of lightning. The firmament roared. Thunder fell silent, and the blood-red clouds paled!
Su Bei laughed heartily, the Qingping Sword in his hand now radiating a sinister, bewitching allure, unleashing vast amounts of Qingping Sword Qi!
"Sword One, Somber Will!"
The heavens lowered; blood-colored were the lands. A single sword strike, self-severing!
One sword, somber.
One will, somber!
The two terrifying figures, gathering all the Spiritual Energy of the heavens, finally smashed into each other with a deafening crash! Majestic ripples surged through the air in all directions, threatening to shatter eardrums.
At that precise moment, dust billowed on another arena platform. A figure was sent flying, instantly capturing everyone's attention.
"COUGH, COUGH!"
A man stood there, coughing up blood. Evening was approaching, and the setting sun elongated the shadow of the Longsword in his hand. Mo Xingjian closed his eyes, his body drenched in blood, and collapsed unconscious.
The voice of a Sacred Land Elder echoed between heaven and earth, "Blade Sect, Liu Yidao wins!!"
BOOM—
The Sword Sect disciples' minds went blank. Mo Xingjian had lost?! He, also at Peak Refining Void, had actually lost?
"His Sword Six was ultimately no match for the Blade Sect's twenty-third slash..." someone murmured.
Wenren Pingxin sighed, a complex look in his eyes.
At this moment, only three arenas remained active on the entire Ascension Platform. On one, Dan Wulan was still locked in fierce battle. Another hosted a critical fight between two combatants Half-Step into Dao Integration. And on the last, high above the firmament, two terrifying figures continued their clash!
"The Sword Sect, though defeated in this match, fought honorably..."
"Su Bei has made a name for himself in this one battle!"
"I have a feeling... is the Sword Sect about to rise?"
"Perhaps, unless Xi Qingyi has any strength left after fighting the Blade Demon. But even a victory for him would seem like an act of destiny..."
The air buzzed with such discussions.
Amidst the widespread discussions, a sudden EXPLOSION ripped through the air!
Above Wang Chuan's Soul Severing slash, a vast and magnificent thunder pool had materialized. Then, a figure in a blood-soaked robe embroidered with begonias pierced through it with a sword!
This sword strike crossed the thunder pool.
This sword strike then shattered the thunder pool!
Immediately after, a rain of dark golden swords began to fall—the aftermath of that one sword piercing the thunder, unleashing a deluge. A chasm cracked open on the ground, spreading forward at an alarming rate, only halting when it collided with the arena's Formation.
CRASH—
The torrential rain lashed down, soaking Su Bei's blood-stained robe. His long, unkempt black hair, like withered winter grass, was dyed crimson by his own Blood Qi. He pointed his Longsword downwards and, with a flick of his right hand, sent blood flying from the blade to mingle with the rainwater. Leaning forward, he staggered. The Qingping Sword returned to its sheath, which he then used to prop himself up.
BOOM—
"SU BEI!!"
"SU BEI!!"
The shouts thundered across the land. Even commoners watching through the Sky Mirror put down whatever they were doing, their voices irresistibly joining the chorus.
"SU BEI!!"
Tears welled in Wenren Pingxin's eyes as he watched his junior brother, who had fought with such desperate resolve. That slender, weakened figure... he truly seems to be shouldering the future of the Sword Sect.
Su Bei turned his head. Somehow, he managed a smile for Wenren Pingxin before facing forward again. A single tear escaped Wenren Pingxin's eye, lost in the downpour, its path unseen, its meaning unclear.
Then, from Su Bei, whose eyes were now tinged with crimson, a hoarse voice rasped, "Next!!"
BOOM—
Thunder cracked again!
The members of the Blade Sect gazed at their two elders, both defeated by Su Bei, their expressions complicated. Mouths opened as if to speak, but no words came. Only deep respect remained in their eyes.
If a Peak Refining Void expert had defeated two other peak experts consecutively, perhaps no one would say much openly, but there would undoubtedly be whispers. But this... this was a Mid Stage Refining Void cultivator! So what if he wielded the Qingping Sword?
Liu Yidao, already depleted by his fight with Mo Xingjian, dragged his exhausted body to face Su Bei, a wry smile on his lips. "Elder Su," he said, "it seems I am in the same state as you." As he spoke, he coughed violently twice, blood spilling onto the ground.
Su Bei's figure swayed like a reed in the wind. Blood trickled down his hair, blurring his vision, leaving only his Selfless Realm to perceive the world before him.
"Fight!" Su Bei declared, his voice cutting through the storm.
The setting sun amidst the downpour was a rare spectacle indeed. Orange light spilled over the mountains as Su Bei pointed his Longsword forward. Under this golden illumination, the sky resembled the moments just before dawn.
Liu Yidao closed his eyes. The next instant, he exploded into action, his Da Dao swinging!
A deafening clap of thunder suddenly erupted overhead, followed by a series of deep, rolling rumbles, as if a god drove a chariot across the heavens, its wheels grinding out a booming drone. The shockwave hammered everyone nearby; eardrums throbbed, some collapsed to their knees, and for a few, their hearts even stopped, felled by the sheer force of the sound.
Liu Yidao, having mustered every last shred of his strength, roared, "This is all the Spiritual Energy I have left, Elder Su! Please, face this!"